Sabathia, Kazmir face off in ALCS Game 4 today with Yankees leading Angels 2 games to 1

Sabathia, Kazmir face off in ALCS Game 4 today

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The American League championship series resumes today in Anaheim, with the New York Yankees sending 19-game winner CC Sabathia against the Los Angeles Angels’ 10-game winner, Scott Kazmir. The National League series between the Phillies and the Dodgers has the day off.

Yesterday, the Angels posted their first American League Championship Series victory with a comeback 5-4 win in 11 innings over the New York Yankees in Game 3. Jeff Mathis hit a two-out double that scored Howie Kendrick from second base to cut the Yankees’ series lead to 2-1.

The winning hit came off Alfredo Aceves, the eighth Yankee pitcher of the night. Aceves retired the first two batters in the 11th before Kendrick started the rally with a single and Mathis ended it with his double to deep left.

The Angels took advantage of a collapse by the Yankees’ usually reliable bullpen. Second-year Yankee manager Joe Girardi used seven relievers after starter Andy Pettitte allowed three runs in six and a-third innings. But Joba Chamberlain allowed the go-ahead run in the seventh. Closer Mariano Rivera threw away a bunt in the 10th, but got out of a none-out, two-on jam. Then Aceves gave up back-to-back hits after two were out in the 11th.

The Yankees hit four solo home runs. Derek Jeter led off the game with a homer. Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada also went deep. Kendrick homered and also had a triple for the Angels. Vladimir Guerrero had two hits and drove in a run for the Angels.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies are one victory from going to the World Series for the second straight year after rallying with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to shock the L.A. Dodgers 5-4 for a 3-1 series lead in the National League Championship Series.

Jimmy Rollins was the Phillies hero. He delivered a two-out, two-run double off Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton for the walkoff winner for the defending World Series champs.

With one out, pinch-hitter Matt Stairs started the rally with a walk. Carlos Ruiz was hit with a pitch. After Broxton got the second out, Rollins hit a line-drive double in the right-center gap that sent the crowd at Citizens Bank Park into delirium. Rollins was just 2-for-14 with one RBI in the NLCS before his big night.

Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer in the first and tied Lou Gehrig’s major league record of eight straight postseason games with at least one RBI. Gehrig drove in runs in eight consecutive games for the New York Yankees during the 1928 and 1932 World Series.

After an off day, Cole Hamels will start for the Phils in Game 5 tomorrow night in Philadelphia. The Dodgers will go with either Vicente Padilla or Clayton Kershaw. The Phils have won 10 of their last 11 postseason games at Citizens Bank Park.